Recent Israel-Palestinian Peace Initiatives 

Despite the apparent lack of progress in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians since the failure of the 2000 Camp David Accords, the framework for an eventual peace accord has been developing outside of the public eye. The unwillingness of the political leadership of both Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate has not stopped serious efforts to develop the parameters of a political solution. In this presentation, we will examine the peace proposals that have not been widely reported by the mainstream media and the likely terms of an eventual settlement. These include the recent Saudi and French initiatives, the Ayalon-Nusseibeh Plan (former head of the Shin Bet and president of a major Palestinian college), and the Commanders for Israel’s Security “Separation, Not Annexation” Plan (developed by 200 former heads of Israel’s military, security, and intelligence services). We will also look at the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the construction of the Security Wall and their impact on the possible contours of a peace agreement. This presentation will be illustrated with maps and concrete illustrations of the various peace proposals.

Dr. David Ariel is President of Ariel Learning, a global Jewish learning organization. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts where he teaches in the Me’ah and Kevah programs sponsored by Hebrew College and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. He also teaches for the American Joint Distribution Committee in Eastern Europe; for Kivunim, a gap-year program in Israel; and for Hillel. He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Jewish Thought and received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Brandeis University in Jewish Studies. He is the author of four books including Kabbalah, What Do Jews Believe? and Spiritual Judaism.

Talks in this series are sponsored by Brotherhood, and include a delicious buffet breakfast of assorted bagels, smoked salmon, pickled herring, whitefish salad, tabbouleh, desserts and more. Breakfast begins at 9:15, and the presentation runs from 9:45 am to 10:45 am and are usually followed by a question and answer session. Admission is $10; free to Brotherhood members. For further information, email brotherhood@templeisaiah.net.